Consumers may rely on shopping search engines to find competitive retailers of products and services while shopping online. However, while shopping search engines may enable consumers to make their purchasing decisions based on price, they do not provide consumers with the expert assistance for selecting the one product or service that actually suits their needs. Consumers may attempt to find the right product or service by conducting their research online via review and information sites, but such research may be tedious, time consuming, and/or difficult for average consumers to carry out. Thus, consumers may end up with products or services that are inadequate for their needs, or products or services with features that the consumers do not desire. In addition, consumers often pay premiums for the undesired features.
In some instances, consumers may actually forego the online shopping experience and visit brick-and-mortar retailers to receive personalized assistance with the selection of the appropriate products or services. As a result, online retailers may lose sales and profits despite having the most competitive prices. Moreover, consumers often have no assurance that the assistance received at brick-and-mortar retailers are adequate, as there is no guarantee that sales associates at such retailers have the necessary training, knowledge, motivation, or skills to recommend the appropriate product or service.
Moreover, scenarios involving decision making based on imperfect information is not limited to online retail settings, consumers often have to make decisions choices based on limited information or expertise in other aspects of their lives.